No matter how one spins it, the Amir Coffey signing is a win for the Milwaukee Bucks. Yet, there are still some concerns in the eyes of analysts, such as ESPN's Kevin Pelton. In his piece grading some offseason deals, Pelton highlighted that Coffey is one of the "league's worst rebounders at forward," which is among the reasons why he gave it just a B+.
If Coffey is a poor rebounder, the obvious solution is to pair him with strong rebounders who can take some of that pressure off of him. Lucky for them, the Milwaukee Bucks employ a handful of talented rebounders who could hide Coffey's weakness, making sure they aren't depending on him to attack the glass constantly.
Bucks have the personnel to help Coffey
Pelton does have a point about rebounding being a weakness. Among forwards to play at least 1,200 minutes last season, Coffey ranked dead last in total rebounds. The Milwaukee Bucks can put Coffey in positions where his rebounding won't be a big focus, shielding this weakness from overshadowing the good he can do.
That starts with playing him in lineups that feature some combination of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Myles Turner, and Bobby Portis. In turn, having those players could elevate Coffey's rebounding, as their large presences detering opponents could give him more room to sky for boards.
People shouldn't forget that Brook Lopez has never been a strong rebounder, never having averaged double-digit boards in his career. One could argue that he was even more worrisome than Coffey, as the center was a 7-footer. He certainly still found ways to be successful in Milwaukee. Coffey might not be on Lopez's level, but he can impact the game elsewhere to make his presence felt as well.
Coffey is coming off a season where he shot 40.9 percent from three and averaged a career-high 9.7 points per game. He's more than capable of being a quality floor spacer and scorer offensively. There are questions about his defense, but he's the type of lengthy wing that could make this team much more versatile on that end. If he can do these things, no one will worry about rebounding.
Currently, Coffey isn't on the standard roster, so it's not a guarantee that he ends up playing a major role next season. However, it feels more than likely that they will find an avenue to keep him.
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